Dostoevsky

"From The Brothers Karamazov

"My brother asked the birds to forgive him; that sounds senseless, but it is right; for all is like an ocean, all is flowing and blending; a touch in one place sets up movement at the other end of the earth. It may be senseless to beg forgiveness of the birds, but birds would be happier at your side -- a little happier, anyway -- and children and all animals, if you were nobler than you are now. It's all like an ocean, I tell you. Then you would pray to the birds too, consumed by an all-embracing love, in a sort of transport, and pray that they too will forgive you your sin. Treasure this ecstasy, however senseless it may seem to men." Dostoevsky

It's All Temporary

Dmitri Karamazov and Amanda Knox: A Tale of Two Trials

 Dmitri Karamazov

Dmitri's defense lawyer: "He was a tall, spare man, with long thin legs, with extremely thin, pale fingers, clean-shaven face, demurely brushed, rather short hair, and thin lips that were at times curved into something between a sneer and a smile.  He looked about forty.  His face would have been pleasant, if it had not been for his eyes, which in themselves small and inexpressive, were set remarkably close together, with only the thin, long nose as a dividing line between them. In fact, there was something birdlike about his face.  He was in evening dress and white tie."

Dimitri Karamazov (what a hunk!)

Amanda Knox (they would have made a cute couple)

Guiliano Mignini, the Vindictive Prosecutor

I fear that unlike Amanda, this trial will end poorly for Dmitri but I haven't finished it yet.  I am reading as fast as I can . . .

Characters from Literature

I love to read descriptions of people in literature. Take for example this from the Aspern Papers by Henry James:  

"Her face was not young, but it was simple; it was not fresh, but it was mild. She had large eyes which were not bright, and a great deal of hair which was not "dressed," and long fine hands which were--possibly--not clean. She clasped these members almost convulsively as, with a confused, alarmed look . . ."    We know a lot about her in a few words. 

or this from The Brothers Karamazov: 

"He was a boy, not over twenty, dressed like a dandy, with a very charming fair-skinned face, and splendid thick, fair hair.  From his fair face looked out beautiful pale blue eyes, with an intelligent and sometimes even deep expression beyond his age indeed, although the young man sometimes looked and acted quite like a child, and was not at all ashamed of it, even when he was aware of it himself. As a rule he was very willful, even capricious, though always friendly.  Sometimes there was something fixed and obstinate in his expression.  He would look at you and listen, seeming all the while to be persistently dreaming over something else.  Often he was listless and lazy, at other times he would grow excited, sometimes apparently, over the most trivial matters."

I just love this guy.  Sounds like a lot of blind dates from my past.